December 17, 2010

Charlie Brown XMas Tree

Ok, I'm bringing it back from the past! Because nothing is sadder than a store bought one... It defeats the symbolism of beautiful hopefulness and the meaning of Christmas. After all, Christmas isn't about about fancy aluminum trees, real estate, a blue ribbon for the best decorated dog house, or cash in 10s and 20s. It's about hope, and who has more hope than anyone else? Charlie Brown. Who hopes to someday kick that football, who hopes to someday woo that little red headed girl, and who hopes that all his anxieties are a figment of his imagination despite wasting all those nickels and dimes on "Psychiatric Help".

So with the unforgettable question of Linus van Pelt, "Gee, do they still make wooden Christmas trees?", I would like to share my tutorial for making your very own Charlie Brown Christmas Tree and hope you can find the meaning and spirit of the season despite the hectic traffic, long lines, and pressure to please.

Materials and Tools:

Cedar/pine branch (real or artificial)

Pruners (or metal clippers if using artificial)

Piece of wood (or, in this case, a section of cedar trunk)

Red ball ornament and ornament hook

Electric drill

Drill bits

Dried beans (or pebbles)

Wood glue (if necessary)

Step 1: Prep the branch

Bend the branch so it can hang down better.

Prune away extra leaves and branches so that it looks sparse.

Step 2: Drill the hole

Approximate how large of a hole you'll need. The drill bit should be a little larger than the end of the branch.

Drill the hole in the center of the piece of wood.

Step 3: Insert branch

Insert the branch into the hole. Use wood glue to hold it in place if necessary.

Step 4: Weight the ornament

Add beans (or pebbles) to the inside of the ball ornament. You won't need too many.

Step 5: Attach ornament

Wrap the ornament hanging wire around a minor upper branch. You might have to readjust the amount of beans (or pebbles) inside the ornament to get the right effect.

So here's to hope and the little symbols we can find in our everyday lives!

If you would like to view this tutorial in its original Instructable's format, please visit this link.

4 comments:

You are too clever and I love it!! My son and I watched Charlie Brown Christmas last night and at just the right moment he always looks over at me to see if I'm tearing up - which I am! It is a favorite and when I'm needing a bit of holiday inspiration I always watch it! This is a keeper for sure!